The present invention relates to a pluggable module and a detaching jig thereof, and particularly to a pluggable/unpluggable module which transmits and receives information to/from the outside of an information transceiver and a detaching jig thereof.
In recent years, optical transceivers are mounted in various information processing apparatuses as a core of optical fiber data transmission techniques, and easily enable bidirectional communications of large-volume data. Among them, an optical transceiver of an optical receptacle type, such as a router and a switch, which can be directly attached and detached to/from a front panel of an apparatus and to which optical connectors can be directly connected is beginning to enter the mainstream. An optical transceiver performs bidirectional communications by using electric data signals with an information processing apparatus in which the optical transceiver is mounted. The optical transceiver performs communications with another optical transceiver while performing signal conversion between an electric data signal and an optical data signal through a laser diode, a photodetector, and peripheral circuits. End users can exchange an optical transceiver for another according to an optical transmission distance, usage, and the like.
Multisource Agreement (MSA) which standardizes an exterior and a connector of an optical transceiver in the industry has been established. MSA includes XENPAK MSA, XFP MSA, and the like. MSA standardizes specifications of electric characteristics and optical characteristics in addition to the exterior. The designs of exterior dimensions in MSA include the design of a module guide (hereinafter, referred to as a cage) and the designs of a stop mechanism and a case. The guide and the stop mechanism allows for realization of rapid exchange of a module, determination of an appropriate contact position, and securing of a contact force. In addition, these mechanisms function to prevent a module and a line card from being damaged due to rough treatment by an operator.
A designer of an optical transceiver module designs the stop mechanism in consideration of the design of a cage into which the optical transceiver module is inserted. The designs of the stop mechanism are released in various kinds, and easy plugging/unplugging and strong fixing are mainly considered. Most of pluggable/unpluggable optical transceiver modules have a hot plug protection mechanism for designs of an electric power line and a data line. However, the stop mechanism is important to prevent unexpected detachment and falling.
US Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006/0078259A1 describes an optical transceiver module in which a stop mechanism can be released by pulling a lever mounted at a front portion by 90 degrees when attaching and detaching the optical transceiver module.
An electric transceiver module as well as an optical transceiver module can be inserted into a cage. A module to be inserted into a cage is called a pluggable module, and both of an optical transceiver module and an electric transceiver module are pluggable modules.
In the stop mechanism described in US Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006/0078259A1, only user-friendliness of the optical transceiver module is considered, and thus some problems are involved.
In the first place, unexpected falling is conceivable. In a circumstance where such a pluggable/unpluggable optical transceiver is installed, plural similar optical transceivers are present in the vicinity. Accordingly, there is a risk that the optical transceiver falls due to some sort of fault (tangles of optical fiber cables and the like) in a mechanism where the stop mechanism can be released only by pulling the lever by 90 degrees.
In the second place, the dimension of the lever used when detaching the optical transceiver is restricted. In MSA, the size of the lever is specified, and it is difficult to detach the optical transceiver module when the optical transceivers are aligned in a vertical direction.
In the third place, a security problem is involved. In recent years, an optical fiber data transmission technique is used for consumers, skills of end users are lowered, and places and circumstances where the technique is used expand. Since the optical transceiver module described in US Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006/0078259A1 can be easily detached, there is a risk that it can be detached out of malice. There is also a risk that it can be accidentally detached without malice. There is a possibility that easiness of detachment causes some sort of fault in the optical transceiver module or an information processing apparatus.